Broken Wings
by Curtain Hero
Summary: After the defeat of Ganon, Link's memories are lost after an unexplained disaster. He awakes around people he should know. Are these his friends? Does he have more? Family? A love? Or worse, competition? [Show some love for first story ever with helpful feedback. Yeehaow!]
1. Chapter 1: Wake Up

Water.

If there's anything I can both remember and feel, then it's that.

...

I remember the sounds of the waves, too. If anything could calm me down then it was waves...

...

I can hear them now, where ever I am.

"Link?" A voice asks. The voice tugs at something in my mind, something I should remember. So does that name. Yes, it's definitely a name.

"Leave him, son. He needs his rest." Says another voice. Slower and far more relaxed than the last. Older, too.

You know, I think they might be talking about me.

"He-..." I pause, shocked at the sound of my own voice.

Geez, relax. It's only you.

"Hello?" I ask with my eyes still closed. There's an image there, in my mind, that I need to... analyse. Two shocked gasps startle, almost disrupting the image in my head. I try my hardest to keep those two in focus. They're running. Both of them. Why?

"Link, you're okay!" Says the younger voice, much closer now. I guess it's time I opened these eyes of mine...

It's a mist, tinted slightly red.

I close my eyes again. That was disturbing. Sighing, I take my hands to my eyes and rub them. Then open my eyes again.

Standing in front of me is, I rub my eyes again, he looks just like the girl in the picture only his hair is short and white, and his skin is much darker. Oh, yeah, and he's a he. I look around. It's a small room, not much decor. There's a few other beds. The walls are made of stone.

And, of course, I get that horrible feeling that I should know this place.

Hm. This is going to be embarrassing...

"Wh-..." I begin.

"Where are you?" Says a dry voice, saying it for me. He's another bird man. I didn't even realize he was in the room until now. My bewilderment causes him to break out into a tortured smile as if he is debating whether it is truly worth the effort. "Link..." He murmurs, stepping into the light quietly, his 'smile' fading.

Cmon. Remember. These people clearly know you, you have to remember!

Another image flashes in my mind. It's...

A...

Letter?

Screwing up my eyes in thought, I focus harder on the image. A brownish grey hand is holding the latter out to me, feathers clutch on to the side of the hand's arm like lost children. Got it.

"You're postmen, aren't you?" I ask timidly, watching their expressions hopefully. The birdman in red chuckles and turns to the other birdman, smiling.

"See, Quill? He's not completely beyond help."

The other birdman, Quill, sighs. "I suppose you've won that bet." He says with as little humor as possible. He turns to me again, with a look of determination this time. It suits him a lot better than smiling, that's for sure. "Yes, Link. We're the Rito. The postmen of the Great Sea..." Sea. That word ignites a strange fire deep in my chest. "...You've saved us before in the past, ask anyone." The other Rito nod at this remark.

"Right now," He continues. "We're on Dragon Roost Island, the headquarters of the Island Postal Service, and the place where we found you." My eyes widen at this sudden revelation. "Yes, you were washed up here with nothing but a plank of wood and..." My eyes eagerly follow his hand as it reaches into his mail bag. With an awkward kind of flourish, he produces... a small wand-like thing. "I believe that, a long time ago, you told me that this was the Wind Waker. A baton used by the king of old to conduct to the sages. You used it to borrow the powers of the gods." He pauses to let this new (or old?) information sink in. Dammit, I need to remember to breathe. "At least," He begins again. "That's what your boat told you."

What? My boat? Talking? I'm pretty sure that's not normal. I look towards the other rito.

"I guess... that sounds familiar..." I manage. This all seems hopeless. Regaining memories. Talking boats. Godly batons. As ridiculous as that would sound... It doesn't, not to me.

"Link?" Asks the younger Rito. I look at him. He's adjourned in jewelry and gold. His red eyes aren't hostile or aggressive, they're... longing. He's pushing something back. Tears, perhaps?

"Yes?" I croak; I still don't feel one hundred percent.

"Would you like me to show you around?"

The Rito in red, presumably the boy's father, opens his mouth as if to say something but I cut him off.

"Yeah, I think I need that. Maybe it'll jog my memory." I don't think the boy can take much. He seems... vulnerable. Wether he's normally like this or something's happened, I don't know.

He grins and motions for me to follow him. Getting up is a little hard, but I manage.

Outside is a much larger cave, although, the word cave doesn't do it justice; it's a lot homier than the word implies. Several Rito wander around hurriedly with clip-boards in hand, not taking their eyes off them. Other Rito examine crates, exporting and importing their contents as if it was all they ever knew. On our floor, the second floor, one Rito sits behind a desk and sorts letters with a concentrated look. His eyebrow twitches every so often as he decides where to place the letter. As I follow the boy past this letter-sorting Rito, he smiles at me wryly. I wave to him, as if I should know him.

The boy exits through a small hole in the side of the cave that leads to a large, wooden balcony of sorts. Looks more like some kind of runway to me. As I step out into the fresh air, a huge feeling of nostalgia overwhelms me. There it is. I'm already running towards the edge of the platform. The Big Blue. The Endless Waves. The Great Ocean. The starry sea, and the wavy sea. Joining for a dance on this wonderful night.

Wait, where's the boy?

Guiltily, I tear my eyes from the playful, twinkling reflections in the blue. A quick scan of the area. There. He's on that rocky outlook a little ways left from the entrance.

Upon reaching his motionless body, I can just see that he's clutching something in his hands and... whispering? What is this? Grief?

Quickly, I prepare to address him but realize I don't even remember his name. Think. You must remember him. Take his face. Good, now put it into your mind. Mix it around. Find those memories...

There's lava, and dragons, and a pearl, Rito, this boy, a girl.

And...

A flower...

Oh. That.

Oddly enough, it's the girl I saw earlier. Stranger yet, in my memories, this boy was young and wingless. He also seemed a lot weaker.

"It's Komali, isn't it?" I say with a friendly tone that surprises me. He spins around, shocked.

"How did you...?"

"Even if I don't remember why we're friends, I could never forget one." I say, with as much truth as I can find. So, it's a flower in his hand. The flower. Except it's wilted. Died. The dead flower in the boy who masks his sadness' hands. Quite melancholic, really.

"Listen, Link." He says, wiping away the brief smile. "I didn't ask you to come out here so I could show you around, I know you can regain your memories on your own." He turns around again, facing the ocean. "Heck, you didn't need anyone to show you around when you first came here." He mutters quietly. After a short pause, he rummages around in his pocket for a small scrap of paper and hands it to me.

It's her.

There's no mistaking that it's her.

Her beautiful red hair tied into a cute yet long and elegant ponytail.

Her eyes, big enough to be wise and calculating, but small enough to be treasured gems.

Her beak, the sign of her being Rito, contrasting with her pale and almost Hylian skin.

And, by the ocean, that smile.

Just like the ocean, it takes me a moment to bring my thoughts onto anything else.

"Medli." I say with confidence.

"What?" He says, surprised.

"That's Medli, The Sage of the Earth."

"**What?!**" His scream makes me jump.

"You didn't know?" I hiss. But he doesn't listen, he's already grabbed me by the shoulders, hurting me more than he intends.

"What happened to her?" He says with heavy breath. I try to remember.

Earth sage. Earth temple. Headstone.

Headstone?

"Headstone Island! She's there." I exclaim, wanting him to remove his trembling hands. He does. He closes his eyes and steps onto the wooden railing.

"Medli." He smiles. "I've finally found you." His smile turns into a cocky grin. One that I remember. "And now I'm coming for you." He jumps.

He spreads his wings and flies towards the now rising sun in the east.

Soon, my disbelief turns to a wonderful mix of anger and worry, and I'm already running back.


	2. Chapter 2: Love Potion

**Komali's POV:**

"Woohoooooo!" I scream. Haha! It's the first time I've done that in a long time. Actually, now that I think about it... this is the first time I've smiled in who knows when?

I can't even look back; I don't want to. I might risk seeing father's frowning face. Hmph. He'll be laughing when I get back. Back. Back with her.

Gah! I open my eyes as I realized that I've dipped slightly from my perfect glide towards Windfall.

Yes, I'll go to Windfall, buy myself a weapon of some kind, fly north to Headstone Island, save Medli and return home. Easy, right?

I gulp. Let's hope so.

Slowly, I descend onto the pier of Windfall's port. I got a few odd looks from the locals but nobody says anything and they soon continue with their day-to-day boring old lives. As far as they're concerned, Rito don't often come to Windfall on unofficial business. Ha. Commoners. This is as official as business gets!

Of course, they'll never know that.

Cautiously, I step through Windfall's great stone archway. In the shadow of that arch, I can just make out some kind of inside shop up ahead. Up front is a wooden sign that displays a disturbing image of screaming man holding some kind of potion.

Potions, eh? I'll likely need one of those.

The door opens with one of the most over-dramatic creaking noises I have ever heard. I peek inside.

I cough.

I quickly dart back out of the shop. By Din, at least put some kind of smoke hazard warning sign on your front door. Shaking my head and taking my hand to my mouth, I head inside.

It's not a particularly glamorous shop. An ugly purple smoke gathers at the top of the ceiling and intertwines with the cobwebs and dust, causing some kind of mini ceiling airshow. It's ridiculous.

The supposed store owner is messing around with some kind of machinery in the back. Impatiently, I knock on the wooden counter.

No response. Did he hear me? I knock again, louder. Finally seeming to notice that he has a customer, he turns around with enthusiasm that suggests to me he prefers messing around with potions than actually selling them.

Not wanting to remove my sleeve from my mouth, I point to the nearest bottle of red potion and bring up three fingers.

"Ah, red potion. Right away, right away." He says with a voice that's less threatening than I imagined. It's sharp, but playful, in a calculating sort of way.

I realize that he's staring at me. "Boy." He starts. Oh dear. "Your eyes, they are red!" Congratulations, geezer... Is what I want to say. I give him my best frown. "No, no, no! There is a glint in your eyes. A devious glint. Do not think I would miss it, for I am a genius and an artist! Of potions!" This is taking too long. Tapping my foot impatiently, I raise an eyebrow in order for him to hurry up. "Hang on a moment." He says, reaching under the counter for who knows what?

Why did I even come here? It would've been easier just to buy from Beedle. Promptly, the man jumps up from the ground and places a new potion onto the desk, contrasting with the others just a little. "This," He says, making his voice as dramatic as possible. "Is my latest invention." He looks at me as if I should excited about this. Get a move on! "This is the Love Potion. Look. Look deep inside the jelly goodness. Can you see it? Yes! There it is! That glint, the one in your eye! You and the potion share this glint.

Is this supposed to impress me?

Although...

It may be useful...

Inwardly sighing, I place the correct amount of rupees on the table. I've got a lot to spend, anyway.

Finally, I leave the shop, leaving the mad shop owner to mumble about how he used to be searching for love in his youth... Wait, what's that supposed to mean?

It's late morning in Windfall now, the dew is just starting to be replaced by the vast population, children have started playing, sleepy shopkeepers are murmuring their wares to an empty street, strollers are strolling, and I'm looking for a damned sword.

After asking some puzzled gossiping women for directions, I find an outside shop manned by, what I thought was, a giant yeti.

However, before I can approach the shopkeeper...

"Don't see many Rito around here, do we?" Says a female voice.

I spin around. No, she's not there. Hmph. Turning around again, I recoil in surprise to find a young girl standing there. She laughs cheerfully. "Sorry, you're just a rare sight, that's all."

Wait, that was her? Her voice is the one from just now, but I expected her to be older... and wealthier. Her dull rags are evidence of her poverty. Wait, the poorer people don't push around the richer people!

"Stand aside." I say, with as much authority as I can muster. She does, but resumes following me all the way to the desk of the outside shop.

"What are you buying from old Zunari, eh?" Ohoho. This is perfect. Preparing my best stare, I clear my throat.

"A sword." I say, threateningly. Unfortunately, her piercing blue eyes break right through my glare and leave me embarrassingly defensive.

"Oh dear me. Milla, please don't scare away the customers." Says an exotic voice from across the counter. Sighing, a throw the urchin girl a blue rupee.

"There, now could you go please?" I say to the immediately distracted blonde. She throws the rupee once, spinning it around in the air and catching it in her other hand. Then, to my surprise, throws it back to me.

She laughs at my obvious shock. Then, still smiling, she puts on a more serious face.

"I don't need other people's money any more." She's looking past me. "I'd rather work for my own." I can't believe such a... a... a peasant would have honor like this. I shake my head and turn back to the shopkeeper, Zunari, and ask for a sword. He eyes me suspiciously.

"Dear me, customer. I can't just give away swords to children. No, no, no! That would be irresponsible." He says, nodding at his own words.

"But..." I start, but I'm cut off.

"Let him have the sword, Zunari. I'll pay for half." She says, to my utter disbelief.

"But that's fifty rupees!" I hiss. She simply laughs.

"Like I said, I work for my own money, and I work hard."

Zunari shakes his head. "Well, don't tell anybody, dear customer, and I'll sell you this sword." He lays a fine blade on the counter, covering half of it with his arm to try and hide it from anyone watching. Reluctantly, I hand over all twenty-five rupees, and, much less reluctantly, Mila produces the same amount and slides them into Zunari's trembling hands. "Thank you for your patronage..." He says in a shaky voice. Mila and I share a laugh as I flourish the sword in my hand.

"Now," I say aloud.

"I suppose you've got business elsewhere." She says, still smiling. I nod. "Come back sometime, maybe you can buy _me_ something." She laughs.

"While I thank you for that, you only payed half."

"That doesn't matter, does it?" She giggles.

Shaking my head playfully, I spread my wings and fly once more. This time, I'm waving.

**[AN: Hey guys! You enjoying? Cus I sure enjoy writing these. So, uh, do you guys remember Milla from Wind Waker? I really like her character and I'm surprised that not many people have done things with her in their stories. Well, no more! Anyway, enjoy! Houston out!]**


	3. Chapter 3: Dead Laughter

Link's POV:

That took longer than I wanted it to.

It wasn't pretty either. I had to tell him about what happened with Komali, and then he seemed to get curious about the Medli girl. I told him I remember nothing of the girl, but, by the ocean, do I want to!

...

That's odd. Do I? Why?  
>Clutching the finely drawn picture of Medli, I laugh. I laugh for the first time since waking up. Quill gives me a funny, yet concentrated look.<p>

It's almost noon, the sun is about halfway there, in fact. We're heading to Headstone Island, the suppose location of the Earth Temple. Located south, far south. Or so I'm told. I've got a strange feeling about going South. I feel like there's something else there, something important to me.

"Link!" Comes an abrupt interruption from above, I tighten my grip on the talons. "I know we probably should've brought this up earlier, but do you have any way of defending yourself?"

Ah. Perhaps this is the strange feeling. I timidly smile at Quill in response. I let out a long sigh. No weapon in hand. That's nostalgic.

I think.

"Hoy!" Says the second Rito, a little over enthusiastically "Headstone Island is just up ahead!"  
>Quill simply shakes his head and continues flapping his wings. And, yes, there it is. Headstone Island. My head is ringing, trying to break through the barrier of forgetting. I wish I could clutch my head. Ugh.<p>

Touch down.

"Link. Will you be safe without any kind of weapon?" I pause.

"How do you know if there are any monsters in there?"

"Good point. Just," He gives a father-like smile, "Be extra careful." I nod, and the Rito take off. Why did I even agree to do this? It was like instinct more than anything. Including sense.

Turning to face the cave's entrance, I notice footprints in the sand. It's not hard to guess who's they are.  
>"Well," I say, looking at the towering rocks above. "This is certainly a new type of familiar."<p>

It's eerily quiet down here.

Everything's either fallen apart or is falling apart. Cobwebs litter the wall as if that were some kind of interior design choice. And, I swear, the skeletons are watching me. But that might be my imagination. It doesn't help that every (open, might I add.) door is 'decorated' with grotesque spikes and a skull on top.

Honestly, I expected this temple to be smaller. But ten minutes into my exploration tells me that it probably goes much deeper under the ocean than I originally thought.

Eventually, I reach a rope bridge, precariously dangling above a pit of... some kind of fog. Somehow, I haven't gotten lost. It's strange. There have been so many different paths to take and doors to open, but my legs seem to know where they're going. Why don't I?

A noise alerts me. Rattling and... something else. Something chilling. Like... laughing!

Horrible, demonic laughing.

Suddenly, three skulls rise out of the blue smog, dragging a small cloud of the fog with them each.

Curse them and their devilish laughter.  
>I'm already running. Through the door into a big, open room. Unfortunately, that damned laughter is waking up all the other skeletons and corpses. This is mad.<p>

More of the skulls, burning skulls this time, flank me from both sides while one mace wielding skeleton approaches from the front. Without mercy, both skulls from the sides make as if they're going to crash right into me, dodging out of the way causes them to crash right into each other. They might just be heads but they sure don't have any brains.

There's not a lot of time to celebrate the comical victory as the skeleton is already behind me, raising his mace. Reflexively, I pick up one of the now flailing skulls and throw into the skeleton's head. It does little damage, but rattles it's skull a bit, causing it to drop it's mace and attempt to right it.

Taking the opportunity, I take the mace and, realizing it's far too heavy, clumsily sweep it's legs... which disconnect from the main body and begin frantically running around. Using it's claws to scrape it's way to me, the main body starts chattering and gnashing it's teeth in my direction. Right. Easy. Skeletons don't feel fear, I guess.

Raising the mace high above my head, I let out some kind of mangled battle cry, which sounds more like a groan of effort.

**CRASH!  
><strong>  
>The skeleton is crushed. Even the legs have fallen over down, lifeless.<p>

Hearing the laughter again, I realize that the skulls behind the door are probably still trying to get in here and bite my head off. I swiftly move on.

Down a short, winding staircase that almost seems like it's going to last forever, I appear near the top of a large, circular room with raised platforms and vines growing at of the the bottom of this 'pit' is... Oh. You've got to be kidding me.

Out of the blue fog at the bottom of the room rise more and more skulls. Fifteen, maybe? And, of course, it wouldn't be complete with that tell-tale laughter. On the other side of the room, a little lower than where I am, is a huge door with an uninviting horned skull on the front.

Then, I hear it. I and the skulls freeze. It was the laughter. But it was louder, more menacing and intimidating. It came from everywhere in the room.

To my amazement, the skulls currently floating in front of me all retreat back into the smog.

From which a giant, crimson skull arises, enveloped in purple flame.

It laughs.

By the ocean...

And suddenly, the door on the other side of the pit explodes, causing the skull monster to turn around, puzzled. I take this oppurtunity to decide that I have no better option than to hide behind a nearby rock. Although, I am curious...

Peeking around the rock, I see...

Komali! Komali's laying on the ground, trying to get up. I feel helpless, I'm about to shout to him when the smoke clears and out walk two dark figures. It's hard to notice any details about when they're wearing those dark, leather outfits. All I can make out is the fact that they are tall and slender and they're long tails, also covered with leather armor.

They seem to agree on something, then hold their arms out to the ceiling just as the skull draws close to them. A long chain burts out of each gadget they're holding and sticks itself into the ceiling with a hook. Then, they pull themselves along the chain so that they are literally hanging on the cieling. I gawp at this, like any normal person would, but it seems familiar in an irritating way.

Once again, they pull themselves over to the platform where I'm hiding. Fortunately, they're far too focused on the current threat to notice me.

One hisses.

A huge light is coming from the skull's now open mouth.

The other hisses, a little more frantically.

A small beam of light hits one lizard man full force as the other springs off somewhere else with it's hook device. Speaking of those, the lizard's hook device as subsequently pathetically rolled towards me.

I smile - worth a shot, right?

I take the device and slot it onto my hand knowingly. A perfect fit, surprisingly.

Taking my aim to a spot right next to Komali, I push a button inside the glove and the hook lets fly. It attaches perfectly. Again, the feeling of wind rushing past me is familiar and I can't quite place it. It reminds me of magic. Magic, wind and wood.

These thoughts are knocked out my head with a forceful landing. I rush over to Komali's limp body. An explosion behind me tells me I have _plenty_ of time.

A sword? Why does he have a sword? Instinctively, I take it in my hands where it feels... comfortable.

In his mail bag I find several bottles of potion. The red one. That heals him. I know this from somewhere. Carefully and quickly, I pour the fluid into his mouth.

He seems to enjoy it.

So much that his eyes dart open.

"Medli!" He says. Then he looks around. He frowns. "What... Link?" I nod, gravely. Again, he looks around with a panicked expression. Then he notices it. The skull fighting the strange figure. His eyes widen, but he shakes his head. "Link, Medli. I saw her." He gets up and walks towards the rubble of the door. "She's in here."

I look at Komali's despaired expression. I watch the giant skull is at shoots it's beams of light that cause major damage.

I remember when I caused the two smaller skulls from earlier to crash into each other by tricking them.

I look back to the rubble again, this time with a new terrifying yet wonderful idea.

Oh boy.


	4. Chapter 4: Ladies First

"Link, what are you doing?" I say, sounding like a small child. "We have to help Medli! Where are you going?" He simply flashes me that cocky grin of his that I've seen before. It says to me, louder than any voice, 'I know what I'm doing.'

Speaking of loud voice.

"HEY!" He shouts, then he pauses. Whatever he's trying to do seems to have no effect. He ruffles the back of his hair in defeat. Then I notice something. What's he wearing? Is that some kind of glove? Maybe that's how he manages to fly around...

"Link," I say, nodding towards his glove. "That might be useful." Link shakes his head wisely.

"That thing? It's far too heav-" He stops and stares at me. At my arms. At my... wings? "Komali. Wrap your arms around my back." I oblige. My anticipation for Medli is overwhelming at this point. "When I say, fly."

The hook from Link's glove lodges perfectly into the back of the skull's... skull. It doesn't notice, however, as it's too busy pinning down the thing that blew me up. I'm still sore about that. In many ways.

Link tugs on his own arm where the glove is, clearly pulling with all his strength. I pull too. None of father's strength lessons could prepare me for this... pain.

The beast finally seems to realize that something is amiss, and begins tugging too, increasing the pain tenfold. Link lets out a pained muffle which I can just make out. I spread my wings and begin flapping furiously, not letting go of Link, pulling him backwards. Finally, we seem to be moving.

Suddenly, the skull's resistance drops so much that it causes Link to stumble. A heavy force must've hit it from the front. "Komali, move!" The skull is heading straight for us at an alarming speed. Rolling out of the way proves to be simple, comprehending what happens next does not. The skull, with a disturbing roar, collides straight into the rubble and rolls to halt on the other side, dead.

So that was his plan.

Speaking of him, he approaches me. "Was I always this crazy?" He asks. I laugh - This doesn't need any debate.

"As far as I know, yes. Yes you were." I can't help but snicker. Suddenly, I remember. I spin on my heel... No... He's gone. The strange dark figure that supposedly blew me up.

"Right, Medli." Link says. Of course. A pang of guilt hits me throat. I think I might choke. Tightening the flower in my hand. I push past Link and head into the chamber.

To find more dark figures standing there.

A large, muscular one and several smaller ones. I recoil in horror; That large one, he's holding Medli's body in his arms. Her eyes are closed.

I'm already running. If I wanted to stop, I wouldn't have been given the chance. My fist flies faster than I ever have, and faster than these monsters have time to react. The punch was good. It was effective. It felt marvelous. I manage to catch Medli just in time as the brute flies backwards with a hiss.

Looks like Link's already confronted the other ones; I may throw a mean punch, but Link's (Or my) sword has a lot more sting. One of the figures walks towards Link with his own curved sword, while the others glide across the room in all directions with their strange gloves.

With Medli in my arms, I smile smugly. You're not the only ones who can fly. The muscled brute is up and functional, but he's clearly too heavy for these hookshots. He looks kinda mad. I giggle madly. I've got her.

Here in my arms.

The warmth never left her.

The sound of steel hitting steel breaks me out of my happiness for a second. Link's got nothing but my sword to defend himself with, he looks slightly wrong without his shield, after all.

I don't consider running. While I may resent Link, and there are definitely things I need to ask him about whether he remembers or not, he's a friend - he's helped out the entire Rito tribe in several ways.

But, I sigh painfully, I have to keep Medli safe.

A hook whizzes past my head, shortly followed by it's user. Yeah, safe. Easy.

Oh, and that muscled idiot is already trying to hurl rocks at me.

I'd rather deal with the giant skull thing again than this.

On que, the tell-tale laughter of the skull fills the room and slowly enters the minds of both friend and foe, causing them to stop and stare. Only the flapping of my wings is heard now. Even Medli, silently sleeping, shuffles uncomfortably in my arms. It's... cute.

But still, I have to get her away from that thing before it...

Gets up and starts attacking. Ah, yeah. Uh oh.

I look from Medli, to Link, to the skull, to the men and back to Medli again.

You know, I'm rapidly starting to think that Link can handle himself.

Wherever those shafts in the ceiling lead might do for a good breathing spot. Hell, it's worth a shot. As soon as I can get Medli to safety, the better.

I'd like to think that Link doesn't even notice me leaving.

The shaft is long, but bright. Rays of light shone from up here into the room below. I can here the sound of commotion from below. I try to block them out, but that only adds to the ever growing flame of guilt. I can help Link soon enough. Soon enough.

I halt. That sound. It's the sound of hooks firmly lodging themselves into brick walls echoing up the shaft from below. I suddenly wish I was carrying some kind of rock to drop down the tight space. Maybe there's something at the top here...

Ahh, speaking of the top. The familiar sound of the waves is a blessing to the ears. It also seems to have a considerable effect on Medli who loosens slightly in my arms.

My eyes widen. I-in... my arms... Is Medli. How have I just realized this? As I nearly drop her, I'm thankful she's not awake to see my evident blush.

She's soft and, like I said earlier, warm. However, she's not warm enough to sully the chill I feel as I hear those hooks getting closer.

Who are these people? What do they want?

These questions will probably go unanswered for a short time, so I shake them off and remember the one true answer.

They are an enemy.

Why?

Because they blew me up and stole Medli, dammit!

Soon, the shaft ends inside some small cave with a huge wide open hole that reveals... Headstone Island! This must be how those guys got in here - By blowing up the side of the mountain. Subtle. Carefully, I land onto the floor in the center of the circle of shafts and lay Medli onto the ground.

She doesn't seem to be hurt, but I pull out my second red potion and make sure to pour it all into her beak, an easier option than pouring it into her mouth purely because of it's position.

I look up. It's dark outside, and it's raining. The wind is blowing through the wound in the wall and messing her hair up. Slowly, I move me hand to straighten-

Clink.

A short clink is enough to snap me out of whatever fantasy I was living in.

Clink.

Clink. Clink.

Three more, from different shafts.

I barely have enough time to look around for something, anything, to use as a weapon before the first enemy is up.

"Sssstupid bird." It spits. It's tongue, circling around it's mouth, is the sharpest I've ever seen. Even sharper than Quill's.

His friends follow shortly after, jumping up one after the other.

I tighten my fists as a strong chill blows into the cave, causing Medli to whimper slightly, breaking the silence. I take that as a signal to begin, and tackle into the figure in front of me, putting all my force into my upper body and slamming him into the small pit behind him. I fly upwards to avoid several attacks. The attackers, snarl but pounce back to the other side of the room.

A hook whizzes upwards and slots itself into the ceiling beside me. I tug at it and pull it out, leaving the user at my mercy, of which I have none. Not when Medli's involved.

Despite's it heaviness, I fly it over to the centre of the room, and eventually charge into one of the men. It hisses, but it's armor seems to negate most of the damage. Nevertheless, it backhands me. Stupid idea, in hine sight.

I fall back, letting go of the chain that was heavily wedged into it's armor. It stumbles, and is pulled by the chain into the hole, along with his comrade far below.

I shoot upwards onto my feet. Medli's gone. So are the other men. I spin around the room wildly. They can't have taken her far. As I spread my wings, however, a figure jumps from the darkness and pins me to the ground. It takes a stand and moves one scaly foot to my mouth, the other grinds into my chest.

"Hssss. You and the boy should not have underesssstimated the Lizolfosss' New Order." He says slowly, drilling every word into my brain. It grins malevolently "Nothing can sstop u-" It stops. A large pebble collides with the Lizolfos' face, and it flies sideways with a barely audible hiss. The pebble falls and misses my face by an inch. I pant in air and my head falls to the right - the direction the rock came from.

And there she is. Medli. My guardian angel, so it seems.

I'm already up, pulling her into a hug that she accepts. We both need it.

The warmth that never left her flows through my veins.

She tightens her grip.

"Komali..." She says in a voice that's a only slightly deeper than I remember it. Must be imagination. "Do you... know... what I am?" She says, trembling. You're an attendant. You're Medli the attendant! The beautiful, charming attendant I fell in love with!

Inside, I sigh. I can't just ignore this.

"You're Medli, the Sage of the Earth, right?" I look down at her. I suddenly feel a lot taller.

She closes her eyes. "Yes." She says quietly. "Link told you, didn't he?" She pauses. "Link... is still around, right Komali?" She asks me while looking into my eyes for the first time. I nod, answering both questions without words.

"Actually..." I say in realization. "Link may need our help." She looks up, alert. "Right now! Follow me!"

I guide her over to one of the chutes and motion to it with my arms.

"Ladies first." I grin like a child, who's knowledge his parents.

"Once a charmer, always a charmer." She says with a confident giggle.

Then she jumps. I follow.


	5. Chapter 5: Honeymoon

My eyes close suddenly with fear of a grotesque sight. Blood. My blood. Dripping from me to the cold, stone floor.

It drips from my nose. It runs down my shirt. My hands are covered in it. Even the insides of my eyelids are red.

Whatever magic that was, it hurt me badly. Lying here under the rubble doesn't seem to help either - bits of bone, I hope they're the skull's, jab me. Probably causing more bleeding.

I use what seems like the last of me strength and move aside a great piece of rubble, hoping to clear it out of the way with a pained sigh alone.

I can barely look around this room. All I can do is twitch my head in a few directions. How do I feel? Well, Komali did just _abandon_ me. I attempt to spit, but only manage to get more blood on myself. One eye begins to sting and I close it hastily. This betrayal, to my despair, is painfully new to me.

With seemingly nothing better to do, I scan the room. Several of those dark things lie limp on the ground.

Good. I spit.

However, the large figure is still standing. He seems fine. Fine, while he stands there holding is clenched fist in front of him, clutching some kind of purple ball that pulses with energy. Wait... He's not clutching it. It's hovering just above his finger tips, crackling lightly at them whenever they touch.

The figure looks at me calmly, but breathes heavily. He did that. He caved in this room. He destroyed the skull.

An incredible sense of loneliness overwhelms me. I can't fight it, not when everything may have been taken away from me, and all that remains is me and the enemy.

I stumble.

It continues it's stupid existence.

I fall into a run that's controlled by a mixed wave of emotion. I may not have a sword, but letting that stop me is weak.

I barely make it to the clearing of rubble around him - he releases the ball of purple energy, the sphere that expands and brings me to the far wall. I notice some of his friends shudder as it passes through them, too.

Pinned to the wall, I struggle. I struggle when I know it's useless. It's all useless. Curse this thing and his magic.

I barely have time to spit an insult when the familiar sound of wings approaches my ears. Curse them, too.

The two rito appear from the ceiling. Did they feel guilty or something?

The figure shrugs me off and drops me. He shrugs me off. I have enough time to grit my teeth before losing consciousness.

The last time I was this angry... wasn't too long ago.

I remember an evil man atop a tower. Holding a girl and laughing. I climbed this tower. Yes, yes I did.

I remember my anger running off with my body, leaving behind common sense. He took someone. Yes, he did. Several people, in fact.

He was mad, I remember that too.

He wanted to bring back a legend, resurface a myth, revive the dead. Ignorant. He was ignorant. We stopped him.

"**YOUR GODS DESTROYED YOU!**"

These words, echoing around my mind, are enough to startle me awake. What's most disturbing about them... is that... they make a damn good point.

I wake. Not to the sound of calming waves, no, but to the sound of rain on harsh waves. Heavy rain. It's... unnerving at the least.

I need to stop losing consciousness. It can't be healthy.

I look around. I'm currently slouched against a hard, wood wall. To my disappointment, I found prison bars a few meters in front of me. I sigh and lean back further.

You know what? I'm glad that I'm imprisoned. At least it means I don't have to do anything now...

The figure in the darkness seems to sense the anguish of defeat and shows herself.

"Link." She says softly. I ignore her. "Link." She says again, trying to be stern this time. I continue to ignore her. I examine the inside of the prison cell we're in. By the shape of it, it looks like we're inside a small ship. Across the ship from our cell is another, where Komali is sitting cross-legged and looking at us intently. Looks like I got Medli in my cell.

"Link, are you okay?" Medli asks. Won't she just shut up? She begins slowly walking towards me. The way she's trying to comfort me is disgusting.

"Yes!" I lie, much louder than I expected. She backs away, like a scared cat, leaving me to drown silently in this pool of guilt I created for myself.

Komali's sigh sounds like that of a calm father's. He uses it to fill in the silence and promptly says "Link, stop. Just calm down. We're all trapped in here together."

I've already flown to the bars, I grip them as if I could tear them down and strangle him.

"That's easy for you to say, you little runt! You two could probably just fly off again without me. Leave me here to rot, why don't you?" My face is red, just like my words. My breathing is heavy, and continues to accelerate. I collapse. I sudden external pain in my back causes me to fall.

I guess my wounds caught up with me, huh.

I try to apologize, to get back on my feet using some kind of momentum. The sting of guilt, merciless in it's assault, keeps me pinned to the ground.

It's cold. I try to announce this. "C-c-..." I stammer. Medli's already crouched down next to me, worried. Even Komali's at the edge of his cell, peering through.

Inside, I sigh and take a step back. I've already done enough.

Well, it seems that's not entirely true. My heart still manages to race as Medli removes my shirt. And I try my hardest not to be happy when I hear Komali's shocked gasp. Medli seems a little taken aback too, but not for the same reason.

"Link...!" She says under her breath and, before gaining a nod from me, runs a cold, delicate finger down the outline of the scar. When I shiver she removes it, and I feel a small pang of regret. Then, she places my shirt under my head, and pushes me onto my side, exposing my back.

"Komali." She says slowly, with a hint of authority. Her voice doesn't move - she's staring at whatever's on my back. Wounds, I suppose. "Do you still have any more red potion?" She asks. Komali says nothing for a short while, but after a few shuffling noises, he says "I should do if they haven't confiscated it." After some more shuffling noises, I hear the sound of a glass bottle being rolled across the floor.

Medli picks it up, takes the lid off, and sits me up.

"Hold on," Komali starts as the bottle reaches my lips. I know what he's trying to say; That's not-

But it's too late. Komali takes a step back, followed by a small 'uh oh' and Medli stares at me. Oddly enough, I stare back. Her hand in my hair feels kind of nice.

My beating heart waits for a response from my brain, which says nothing. Thanks to that potion I imagine. All my anger washes away with it, too. Replaced only by pink bubbly thoughts. She seems a little brighter. Or, rather, everything that isn't her seems a little darker.

"Link?" She asks. I almost stumble. When did her voice become so...? So... Good? So fluffy, so fragile, so delicate?

I think I'm in love.

The ship rocks once more, and Komali coughs.

"Well the, uh... potion appears to have worked." He says. "Can we escape now?" He says nervously. I don't know what he's worried about. I think I'd rather stay here...

Medli looks back from Komali to me. "Shall we?"

"Only if you want to." I say. She reddens slightly at this. Weird. She stands up normally. So do I, with strength I seemed to have regained just by looking at her.

"So, uh," She says. "Any ideas on how to escape?"

Easy, my instinct says, pulling out the Wind Waker from my pocket. Komali, his hands wrapped around the bars of his cell, stares at it curiously. Whereas Medli looks at it with a warm mind of expression.

"You may want to hold on to something." I say. Medli and Komali look at each other, clearly alarmed. Now, if my instinct is correct...

A heavenly choir breaks through the sound of rain on waves, and fills me with a great relaxed sensation...

That doesn't last - several loud noises from above indicate the sudden change in the wind. I can feel it picking up, and spiraling itself around the ship madly. It doesn't stop. It gets faster and faster. And, eventually, the ship picks up.

"ABANDON SSSSSHHHIP!" A voice hisses above the wind, followed by several splashes from below. Caught up in it's pattern, the ship begins to spin with the wind and fly further upwards.

My laughing joins the cries of my companions, and the howling of the wind.

**[AN: Phew! Really tried to play with Link's emotions this time around. I hope it payed off. Did it? Oh, and we finally got to use that love potion. Seems a bit silly now that I think about it. No matter. I hope you lot enjoyed! Peace. -Curtain]**


End file.
